Pipe-line sampling device



Y J. S. WATTS PIFE LINE sAMPLINE DEVICE Filed Deo. '7, 1925 2 sheets-sheetA 1' z zo' 4 l 2 j. Y l i ,4 1 J5 Eff. 6

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PIPE LINE SAMPLING DEVICE Filed Dec.A 'l'. 1925 2 sheetssneer 2 Patented Nov. 13,

PA'TEN orifice.

JOHN .8. WATTS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFGRNIA.

PIPE-LINE SA'MZPI/ING DEVISE.-

Application led December 1925. Serial No. 73,715..

As ma be inferred from the above desigfy nation, t is invention 'is designed to provide means 4for continuousl taking re resentative quantities of a liquld, flowing t rough a 6 pipe,in such manner that the total quantity taken shall accurately represent, in its composition, the average quality of the liquid delivered through the mentioned pipe, Withinthe period during which the sampling may 10 have been continued. A

It being customary to deliver oils var ing in composition or qualiiy -successive y through an identical pipe, an customary to base the price of such oils upon the composi# tion or quality thereof, it becomes a matter of great practical importance to provide sam- -pling means whose operation is dependent upon the rate of advance of the oil delivered through said pipe, so that an increased num- 20 ber of .unit quantities may betaken lfor sampling purposes when the oil is rapidly advanced; and it is also important that the unit quantities so taken should be typical,-and not such as might collect at a specific level,

- outside the main current of the advancing stream of oil. It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide a sampling device which, although comprising continuouslymoving parts, is so easily operated that driving of said parts may be e'ected by the adv AVance of the oil to be tested; and preferred embodiments of my invention may each com# prise a rotor interposed invand operated'by an advancing stream of oil,-the movement of this rotor being utilized either to manipulatea valve, controlling a ort or ports through which oil may be lntermittently,

forced, or to operate a pump, by which predetermined quantities ot oil may be intermittently taken, collectively to constitute a typical sample; or, optionally employing a novel reducing gear hereinafter described, I may embody in a single sampling organization both a valve rotating mechanism and a plunger mechanism,the latter, when cmployed, being .preferably provided with means for adjustably varying the length of the plunger stroke.

Otherobjects of my invention may be best appreciated from the following description of typicai embodiments thereof, taken in conby the line A3---3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an additional vertical section taken 'substantially as indicated by the broken line 4;' 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is -an elevational view, taken from the eneral direction indicated by the arrow `5 of ig. 2 and illustratin optional alternar tive features capable of belng substituted for so much of the organization shown in Fig. 1 as appears at the right of the line 5-5 thereof. y

Fig. 6 is a detail View taken substantially as indicated by the arrow 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the details of that' specific embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 4 inclusive, 11 and 11 may be sections of a pipe line through which oil, or other liquid, may be assumed to advance, either at a constant rate or at a varying rate, in the direction indicated by the arrow 12, Fig. 2; and between these sections I may secure, as b means of integral flanges 13, 13', a hydrau ic motor organlzation of any preerred character, as, for example, an organization comprising a main casting 14 and a bearing casting 14', the walls of these castings being shown as substantially Huid-tight, to adapt them to resist high internal pressure. 'The former is shown as comprlsing tubulations 15, 15 and an interveningA expansion providing a completely enclosed motor chamber 16. y

ylhe motor chamber 16 is shown as communicatin eccentrically (at or near the bottom thereof with the mentioned tubulations, and as adapted to contain a pressure-driven or impact-driven' wheel or rotor 17 of any pre.

erred design. The shaft 18 of the mentioned wheel or rotor 17 (shown as carrying buckets 19 and as secured to or integral with a chambered hub 21, and a peripheral ring 21) ma be secured thereto in any preferred way, as y means of a pin 22; and a relative ma be utilized in any one of various ways to de 'with a subsidiary and central butslightly l equivalent during each opening of the valve 34, For this purpose, insteadof roviding tioned passage liver or measure typical unit quantities thereof into any suitable receptacle of suicient capacity to receive the same Vduring al redetermined peri0d,-as an interval of elght or twelve or twenty-'four hours.

. For example, I maysecure vthe bearing casting 14', or its equivalent, by clamping the same, as by means of bolts 23, between flanges 24 on the main casting 14 and similar lian es 25 on a subsidiary or complemental castmg 26 (annular gaskets being preferably interposed at 27 an 27') and I may bore -the main casting 14, as at 28, 28' and the complemental casting 26, as at 29, in such manner as to rovide an outlet for a thoroughly admixe and therefore representative unit uantity ofthe oil or other liquid passing t rough the tubulations 15, 15',-utilizing the rotation of shaft 18 to impart movement, directly or indirectly, either to a reciprocable plunger or to a valve. .Thus the frequency with which the said plun er is reciprocated o r the said valve is opene may be exactly or a proximately proportional to the rate of a vance of the oi or other liquid to be sampled.

Beliably to conduct liquid from the passage 28 (in casting 14) to a subsidiary passage 29 (in casting-26) or its equivalent, and in order to revent relative rotation of the. 'bearing cast1ng14, or its equivalent, and to facilitate assembly and disassembly without the use of interior threadedconnections, I p

liquid delivered throu h't e valve 34, or its 10| e may employ means such as a short nipple or tubular pin 30,- shown as extending through a flange 31 by which said bearing casting is retained between castings 14 and 26; and, in the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, I show the latter casting as provided tapered passage 32, which may be coaxia 4with the shaftlS, and which is so related to a passage 33, communicating with the men- 29 leading from the rotor chamber-16, t at the interposition of a suitablyfitting ta ed plug or valve 34 in the,

" 'passa e 32 is'e ective to control the outflow of unit quantities of oil, collectively to con- 'stitute a sample, through the mentioned passages 28, 28', 29, and 33, and also through la passage 33' connected w1th any suitable pipe 35,`to conduct the same to a collectingreequiyalgnn directly wit tptaclefj-represented diagrammatically at the shaft 18,;or its the valve or its equivalent, I prefer to 'interpose 'zr/suitabley reducing gear therebetween; and I show the subsidiary casting 26 as providing a chamber,

of connecting 37 of sufficient size to accommodate a novel i and exceptionally simple reducino gear or train suitable for'the pur ose reerred to.

This train may comprise a xed rino gear 38, shown asfintegral with a flange 395 it may be secured to the bearin casting 14', or its equivalent, and a movalgle ring gear 40,-shown`as secured by a ange 41v to a disc 42, which may be-securedto an integral extension 43 of valve 34, as by means'of a p in 75 44. Between the mentioned gearsI showra smaller gear 45 as rotatably'mounted (by means of roller bearings 46) upon an eccen-f tric core 47, integrally or otherwise rigidly i connected with the shaft 18.

The teeth 48 and 49 of the ring gears 38 and 40, although both sets are engageable by the teeth 50 of .the smaller gear 45, are unequal in number. For example,.the ring gear 38 may be providedwith one hundred 85 teeth 48 and the movable ring gear 40 may be rovided with ninety nine teeth 49. It will e obvious that, using `this arrangement, Y

although the smaller gear revented, by 4reason of its engagement wath t e fixed gear 00 38, from rotating upon its own axis, the teeth of said small gear, during/fa vcomplete rotation of the eccentric 47, are eilec'tive, by a camming or Wedging action,.to rotate the gear 4 0, relatively to the gear 38, through an 95 arc corresponding to the interval between two teeth on one of the mentioned rin gears. That is to say, the tjevice describe effects substantially a hund ed-to-one reduction in vrate of rotation 4between the shaft 1 8 and the 1 00 valve 34, or its equivalent.

Instead of relying upon lmeans'such as 'a floating valve in an interposed receptacle to redetermine the quantit of oil or other equivalent, during eac period of communication of anvopemn 51 therein with one of the passages 33, 33', prefer to employ means comprising a plunger movable `1n a cylindrical chamber, to restrict the volume of llo liquid delivered to the receptacle 36, or its a passage d-irectl .through said va ve, I may channel the castmg 26 and the valve 34 in 115 i illustrated- I may utilize means-.such as a movable plunger 58 in measuring or predetermining the volume of each unit quantity.ofl

oil delivered toward the receptacle 86;?

The plunger 58 is shown as comprising a "central body 59 and cupped washers 60, 60', ne

ports 53v and 541may. alternately'be 120 secured on the opposite sides thereof by a merc bolt 61 carrying a nut 62 and washers 63,-a rotation of the valve 34 through the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2 being effective to permit a flow ofliquid into the space 64, so that pressu're appliedthereby is It will be obvious that a rotation of the.

valve member 34 through an angle of 900, and in either direction from the position in which it is shown, is effective to admit oil in turn to the chamber 64, and to force the oil previously delivered' into chamber 64 out through the vpipe 35; and that the rate at which unit quantities of oil are so delivered, being dependent upon the rate at which the valve 34 is rotated, may be exactly or substantially' proportional to the rate of 'advance of the oil or other liquid through the pipe comprising sections 11, 11. l

In order to adapt organizations of the general character described to the taking of substantially uniform total samples, as, for eX- ample, samples amounting `to bout ten quarts or ten gallons in eight or twenty-four hours, it being obvious that the bulk of these total samples would otherwise vary Within unit limits depending upon the rate of advance of the oil or other liquid through the pipe in which my sample-taking organization is interposed, I may, ifdesired, provide means for varying the stroke of the plunger 58, or its equivalent; and my preferred means for the lat-ter purpose may .comprise means such as a plug 65 shown as provided with continuous internal and external threads at 66 and 67 the latter of these threads being used not only for the retention of saidplug but for the retention of a removable cap 68, and the former of said threads being shown as engageable by 4a stroke-determining threaded pin 69,

preferably carrying a vlock nut- 70.

By the use of means ofthe general characl ter described, it will be obvious that so long as oil, or the like, is flowing atv any usual rate through the pipe comprising sectionsA 11, 11', samples will be intermittently taken and permitted to 4accumulate within the receptacle 36, or its equivalent;` and that the volumes of total samples collected during unit periods of time may be rendered sub-l stantially proportional to the volume of oil passing through the main pipe, notwithstanding variations in the rate of advance of `the oil or other fluid through the mentioned pipe. It will be obvious that, if found expedient in particular cases, I may so construct one or both of the tribulations 15, 15 (somewhat as suggested by dotted lines, Fig. 2) as to produce a local acceleration of the oil or other fluid passing therethrough.

Although the principles of my invention, 1n its broader aspects may be regarded as independent not only of the use of any specified c reduction gea-r, but independent also of any special expediente used locally to increase the velocity of flow or of impact of-the advancing liquid (and independent also of any means used to reciprocate a plunger and to press a valve 34, or its equivalent, to its` seat) I suggest in Fig. 3 the use of replaceable tubulations 15. and'la, in order that, according to the circumstances of use, these tubulations may either be straight or may be given an inward or an outward taper and,if desired the inlet'tubulation or an' equivalent main fluid passage may alternatively or additionally be provided with areplaceable or removable choke member 15b, shown as threaded therein and as adapted to function as a nozzle in directing a stream of oil, or the like, against the buckets 19. If desired, in order to establish an inward pressure on the end of the valve 34,- or its equivalent, I may provide, as suggested in F ig'. 1, a passage 71, for the admission of oil thereto, the oil being confined by means such as a plug 72, or its equivalent; or, if desired, like pressure may be produced oir by resilient means such as a compression spring 73 shown as housed in said plug 72,

and surrounding an extension 74 of valve 34.

As indicated in Fig. 5, instead of permitting the pressure of the advancing fluid directly, although intermittently, to act upon a reciprocating plunger, I may, if desired, .utilize the rotation of a shaft 43, or the rotation of an equivalent shaft 43a driven in a similar. manner, or in any desired manner, to reciprocate a plunger within a suitable pump, the inlet of said pump' being in communication with a passage 29a, identical with or comparable to the assage 29, shown in Figs. 1 and 2. For examp e, I may secure a crank pin 75 eccentrically upon the outer end of the shaft 43, connecting the same by means such as a rod 76 withpa reciprocable member 77, adapted to move a. plunger within a suitable pump 78. This plunger may be unprovided with valves, a regulated advance lof unit quantities of the oil or other liquid sampled being effected by the suitable use of an inwardly opening valve 79 and an outwardly o ening valve 80 at the respective ends of a T tting 81, shown as secured below the pump barrel 7 8 by anipple 82. If the mentioned valves 79 and 80 are mere flap .valves,additional relief valves may advantageously be interposed, as at 83 and 83', both in the inlet 29a to the pump 78 and in the outlet 35"l therefrom, as diagrammatically indicated; and the latter valve should, in the user-of this -embodiment of my invention, be set at a lpressure slightly greater than the former,in order that oil may not. flow continuously -to assure flow therefrom only during the downward strokes of the plimger (not through the pipes 29a and 35a, and

shown) Within the cylinder 78, or its equivaeven under Widely varying conditions of use,

representative samples of comparatively uniform volume (or of any desired volume) into receptacles 36, or their equivalents.

.Although I have herein completely described a single embodiment of my invention, suggesting alternative means -for reciprocating a plunger through predetermined dis tances, it should be understood that various features of my invention might be independently employed (thedescribed reducing gear being in fact the subject matter of a separate application, SerialNo. 81,979, filed January 18, 1926, and also that numerous modifi ations additional to those suggested herein might be devised by those skilled in the art to which this case relates, Without involvingr the sli glitest departure from the spirit and scope of my invention, as the same is indicated above and n the following claims.

I claim as my invention: i Y

l. In an organization. of tlie general characterdescribed: a main member interposable in a pipe line through which a fluid is advancing under pressure, said member providing a main passage, with which a subsidiary 'passage communicates, and a completely closed rotor chamber, said passages and chambers having walls adapting them to resist internal pressure; a revolving rotor in said chamber, operated by the main stream of fluid passing through the pipe line; and means, driven by said rotor, for causing successive unit quantities of fluid to advance through said subsidiary passage.

2. In an organization of the general character described: a main memberinterposable in a pipe line through Which a fluid is advancing under pressure, said member providing a main fluid passage with which a subsidiary passage communicates; a valve mounted in said subsidiary passage; a completely closed rotor chamber; and a rotor in said chamber comprising a shaft carrying buckets, said subsidiary passage valve being mounted on a shaft concentric With said i'otor shaft and driven therefrom by a reducing gear.

3. In an organization of the general cha-ractcr described: a main member interposed in a pipe line through which a fluid is advancing under pressure, said member providing a main passage with Whicha subsidiary pas-l sage communicates; a completely closed 'rotor chamber, said passa-ges and said chamber yhaving walls adaptinr them to resist internal pressure; a rotor in said chamber; and means driven by said rotor for` causing successive unit quantities of fluid to advance through said subsidiary passage, said rotor being supported exclusively by the shaft Vextending through a bearing casting which serves as a partition and in which a shaft rotatable by the rotor shaft is disposed coaxially therewith and provided with means for control-y ling tlie intermittent .advance of separate unit quantities of fluid.

4. In an organization of the general character described: a main member interposed in a pipe line vthrough which a fluid is advancing under pressure, said member providing a main passage ivith Whicha subsidiary pas,- sage communicates; a completely closed rotor chamber, said passages and said chamber having Walls adapting them to resistintei'nal pressure; a rotor in said chamber; means driven by said rotor for causing successive 'unit quantities of fluid to advance through said subsidiary passage, said rotor beinglr supported exclusively by a shaft extending through a bearing casting which serves as a partition and in which a second shaft rotatable by said rotor shaft is disposed eoaXially `therewith and provided with means for controlling the intermittent advance of separate unit quantities of fluid; and reducing gear between the mentioned coaxial shafts.

5. In an organization. of the general charactor described: a niainvmember interposed in a pipe line through which a fluid is advancing under pressure, saidk member providing a main passage with which a subsidiary passage communicates; a completely closed rotor chamber, said passages and said chamber havingivalls adapting them to resist internal pressure; a rotor in said chamber; means driven by said rotor for causing successive unit quantities of fluid to advance through said subsidiary passage, said last mentioned means comprising a plunger inovable in a cylinder; and means, dependent upon the rate of rotation of said rotor, for imparting reciprocatory motion to said plunger.

6. In an organization of the general character described: a main member interposed in. a pipe line through which a fluid is advancing under pressure, said member providing a main passage with which a subsidiary passage communicates; a completely closed rotor chamber, said passages and said chamber having walls adapting them to resist internal pressure; a rotor in said chamber; means driven by said rotor for causing successive unit quantities of fluid to advance through said subsidiary passage, said last mentioned means l comprising a plunger; means Jf'or varying the stroke of said plunger; and means dependent upon the rate of rotation of said rotor for imparting reciprocatory iis providing a rotor chamber and a main Huid passage to permit the advance therethrough of an operating iuid, there being a revolving rotor in said chamber, operable by the main stream of fluid, and a subsidiaryvpassage in communication with said main assage, and

means, operable by said rotor, orcauslng a 10 flow through said subsidiary passage proportionate to thelovv through said main passage.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 28th day of November, 1925.

JOHN S. WATTS. 

